SUMMARY - INFGERM - MOBILITY

We propose a cooperation between 3 Hungarian higher educational institutions (BUTE, Dunaujváros Polytechnic, Budapest Polytechnic of Technology) and BITKOM (a German association representing more than 1200 enterprises of informatics) with the expert help of a French higher educational institute (CNAM), a German company (IBISTRA) and a Hungarian company (DUNAFERR), experienced in vocational training on all level. The activity proposed in the present application is the practical training of 30 Hungarian students of informatics at German enterprises for 3-5 months. BUTE, CNAM, IBISTRA and DUNAFERR have been cooperating in the framework of European programs (Phare and Tempus) during the last 4 years in the establishment of alternating higher educational training (Sandwich-training) at BUTE. This means that the traditional academic training at universities gets more practical, vocational elements with the integration of industrial semesters during the last two years of the university training. This type of educational program has been accepted by all faculties of BUTE, it has been integrated into the system of the university and the actual training is now in its 4^th year. The new element in our proposed alternating training is that the industrial semester or semesters would be organized in international setting, at German enterprises. During the previously mentioned international cooperation the need for Sandwich type education with industrial periods in a foreign country was formulated by the consortium. This need met the need of German enterprises for informaticians. There is a huge shortage of educated informaticians in Germany (formulated by the chancellor of Germany G. Schröder as well) and as one possible solution the association of small and medium size enterprises proposed the present cooperation between Hungarian higher educational institutions with informatician training and German companies. The 3 Hungarian institutions would send a total of 30 students of informatics to a German company for practical training as part of their Sandwich type training or for project work towards their diploma thesis. This cooperation would be beneficial to all participants; students would get very valuable international experience, specific professional skills and they would have a better idea of a real life working situation, the universities would be able to provide the preferred vocational and international element in their training, and the companies would get trained workers for the duration of the practical training. As an additional positive result the German association suggested that in case of a successful cooperation between a company and a student, the company would help the interested students to start their own small enterprise in Hungary upon graduation. The company would provide work for this small enterprise in Hungary, which would be obviously beneficial for both parties. The present application for the mobility would only be considered a pilot phase for this type of cooperation. We are making another application under the pilot project measure of Leonardo program, to establish this type of international cooperation for longer term, to make the necessary curriculum developments, to investigate the legal, financial and administrative conditions and to disseminate the results of this pilot phase. Our pilot project application needs the experiences of the first 30 students, therefore the 2 applications are very strongly related. Nevertheless this mobility application would be valuable on its own as well. The project is planned for 18 months and will be carried out by the above mentioned consortium. The main activities: months 1-6.: selection of enterprises, students, language, communication training in Hungary; months 7-12.: practical placement, language, business training in Germany; months 13-18.: academic evaluation of practical placement, foundation of small business in Hungary. Final evaluation, dissemination.

We underline that besides the needs of students, universities the project corresponds to the needs of German SMEs, and it helps to satisfy this need without a "brain drain" effect (as the young workers create their business and stay in Hungary).